House of Willborne - 400 years of Power in Norengland

The Willborne family that rules Norengland comes from a revolutionary hero who fought against the tyranny of Emperor Erwinn Vald IV, the man who conquered Vorson for Norengland but also sparked a war in the region that shed the blood of countless thousands. When he finally sued for peace, Norengland lost all of its colonies in the region. The taxes piled on after the failed great war led to the Willborne revolt led by a talented soldier, Eric Willborne, who rose to Generalship through wit and feat of arms. Uniquely for the time he was put forward as a candidate for the throne when others of more noble birth were also in contention. His coronation led to an attempted coup and a short civil war but he ended up establishing the foundations of what the Nori State is built upon today.

***I will edit in notable figures in the Willborne line at a later date.***

Modern Era

-Alexander Willborne III-

Born March 18 1916, he is the head of the Willborne line. He fought in the air skirmishes of 1931 against the Mon Tarazi against the express wishes of his father. The lone heir after the death of his elder brother Eric due to assassination, he was coronated on the eve of the largest, and last major Nori war against Mon Tarioz on May 22 1935.

Since the end of that conflict, Alexander III has presided over decades of prosperity and peace for Norengland. Numerous Willborne powers in the government has since been given over to the Nori people or removed from law entirely. Foremost among these was the controversial "Power of Revote" which enabled the presiding monarch to invalidate the ballots of any vote, forcing the issue to be re-debated and revoted. Though it had hardly been used throughout the history of the family, Alexander listened carefully to the suggestions of Anti-Corruption Watchdogs who were concerned that the power could be used to indefinitely prolong a vote, therefore stripping the people of their power.

Alexander is beloved by those in the civilian government who have declared him "The reason the duet between Democracy and Nobility has functioned over the past 80 years". While far from a total reformist (the Nobility and the Crown still have complete control over the military as well as their power to call at any time for a vote to dismiss the entire elected body), Alexander has allowed political and civil powers grow in Norengland in a manner never seen before. While this is wildly accepted, many in the North are outraged at the abolishing of several long held traditions such as prohibiting abortion.

While he is admired for his stance on social reform and promotion of Socialist ideals (25 of the 41 political parties in Norengland are Democratic Socialists of various degrees), he has been criticized for the tremendous expansion of the military over the course of his 79 year reign. For a country vastly dependent on resources from its colonies overseas, Norengland has been, under his Majesty's orders, attempting to keep its equipment up to the standards of much larger Continental Powers in the region. This stems from his belief that Norengland must be an active military player in the Commonwealth of Crowns in order to prevent it from being taken out of the political picture. While it puts Norengland on the map and guarantees the survival of the supply line from Vorson, it is also thought to invite attack. Moreover the nature of the wars Norengland has intervened in, notably the Vetegan wars, has brought the threat of WMDs to the peace loving Kingdom. On the other hand it can be argued that Norengland has never been safer or better protected in its history.

At present Alexander resides in Barony Palace as has all members of the House of Willborne (with the sole exception of King Richard) and is surrounded by his family and closest colleagues. Rumors of his failing health remain unconfirmed by officials.

-Natali Rochfort-

Born on August 2, 1928, Natali Rochfort married Alexander III and became The Royal Consort on June 1961. She retained her common name, as is Nori tradition for someone without noble titles marrying into the family. The title of Royal Consort granted her numerous estates all over the country, including the largest and oldest manor in Neriv. Natali had commonly used these resources as rallying points for her numerous charity drives for causes she felt represented the country well. She was also an outspoken Women's Rights advocate for the time and encouraged women to take office while she was alive. She lived to see the first woman Prime Minister be elected in 1988. She was killed, tragically, in a freak air accident off of the East coast of the Norif Island during a visit to Bjerke in 1997. She bore the Willborne family two sons and three daughters. From all sources it was a happy marriage and Alexander deeply misses her. She was interned in the Garden of Peace, close to the decorative fence that borders the Oslia Military Garden.

-Leopold Willborne V-

Born on June 12, 1965. Leopold, named after the famous explorer of the family, quickly made a name for himself when he became involved with the Metal Band "Thunder C**t" in 1982. Nori media censored itself for the sake of the family but foreign press soon jumped all over the story. Despite efforts to reign him in, Leopold continued to ignore his royal obligations. In 1994 he managed to escape his security and vanished. For twenty years the first in the line of the throne has been missing. Some speculate he managed to somehow get someone to alter his appearance and stay silent about it in order to join the counter culture permanently. Others have dismissed him as kidnapped or long since dead of drug overdose. Nobody can know for sure with Leopold. All that is certain is that anyone bringing up his name at court will earn the wrath of the King himself. Leopold remains a sore subject.

-Oyunn Willborne-

Born on March 23, 1967. Oyunn has embraced life considerably differently than her siblings. She rebelled in a much smoother way than her roughneck brother Leopold and in 1993 she made a public statement that she would never marry. She got along famously with her mother and has picked up the torch of Natali's campaign for better Women's Rights in both Norengland and her colonies. She has made several trips to Kleish and in 2009 she marched with Kleish women to protest the illegal jailing of May West, the first woman to enter the Colonial Senate and attempt to apply for Governor. For all her activities however, she does return to Oslia to attend to her mother's estate from time to time. She is not on speaking terms with her Father over the Vetegan conflict as well as numerous other things over the years.

-Øli and Ådel Willborne-

Born together on January 28, 1972. Inseparable since birth, Øli and Ådel both married into the Nobility of Norengland as soon as they could at the request of their Mother. As their other siblings were frequently out around the world for their various reasons, they took up the task of being the public face of the Royal Family without skipping a beat. Øli and Ådel have visited every single community in Norengland proper at least three times, something no other royals have ever accomplished. Known to be the height of fashion in Oslia as well as have the inside track on the gossip of the Nobles, it would be easy to dismiss them as yet another pair of princesses just enjoying their prestige. They are, however, incredibly well educated. Øli has a PHD in social sciences and Ådel has 21 degrees in various fields. When it comes down to it, they are absolutely loyal to their countrymen and their family. "Alexander's little girls" have been invited to critical economic and military conferences endless times over the past forty years. It is because of this that a large contingent of special forces are at any given moment 30 seconds away from extraction.

-Hendrik Willborne-

Born on January 3, 1974. Hendrik is the model Prince of Norengland, something his father was no doubt thanking God for after the trainwreck that was Leopold's youth. Hendrik is the total opposite of his brother. He graduated top of his class from Oslia University in 1999 and joined the Navy immediately after receiving his degree in Archeology. He was honorably discharged in 2012, allowing him the time to tour the world and participate in dig sites across the Commonwealth of Crowns. Soft spoken, rarely seen outside of official events and yet to cause any scandal; he has been named Heir to the Throne by Alexander III himself. He maintains good relationships with his siblings but as of age 40 he has yet to marry. He tends to leave public relations to his elder sisters, preferring to balance his official duties as heir with his professional interest in ancient battlefields.